Wedding Planning Timeline: One Year Mark pt. 2.

Hi Everyone!!

When you're a year out from your wedding, in addition to determining budget, guest list and the overall feel of your wedding, there are a few other things you need to start thinking about.

Deciding on your bridal party is something that should be done as soon as possible.  Like your fiancé and yourself, your bridal party is going to need time to prepare and save money as well.  Asking someone to be in your wedding is a big commitment.  They may need to travel from out of town, so giving them time to make arrangements is best.

via: the knot.

Something else to do a year out from your wedding is hire your wedding planner. Weather you're having someone to help with every aspect of your wedding or just a day of coordinator, finding them at the beginning of the planning process is a good idea.

Having an engagement party is also something that happens right after the engagement. Not everyone has one, but it's a good way to celebrate your recent engagement.

This is also a good time to start trying on wedding dresses.  You need around eight months to have your dress ordered, so having extra time to try on dresses will be great. This will give you time to figure out what you like and what looks good on you before you decide on the right dress.

Jim Hjelm. Picture via: the knot.

You should also start looking at photographers and videographers.  Try to decide what style you prefer, and ask friends and family for recommendations. 

Trying to get most of the big details of your wedding out of the way in the beginning is a great idea, but not necessary.  If things kind of fall into place a year out from your wedding you're very lucky.  Don't think you have to have everything done right away, though. Really think about what you want, and enjoy the planning of your wedding! 

I hope this helped! 
XO. Val

Wedding Planning Timeline: One Year Mark.

Hi everyone!

I recently got engaged, so it's been a VERY exciting couple weeks! It is very different planning my own wedding, however.   I'm very used to the process of planning weddings. I know what should be done, and when it needs to be done. 

This is right after we got engaged! 

As I plan my own wedding, I thought it would be a good idea to post each month leading up to my wedding next June. I'm going to be posting what needs to be done at the year mark, nine month mark, etc.  

If you have a year or more to plan your wedding, that is great! If you have less time, it's still possible to accomplish everything you need to.

When it's a year until your wedding, or right after the excitement of the engagement wears off, it's time to accomplish the first steps in your wedding planning process!

Most girls have dreamed up their perfect wedding long before they have the ring, but it's still important to discuss with your fiancé the overall feel and style of the wedding. So pull up your secret wedding Pinterest board, because this is the fun part!! Is it going to be laid-back and casual, or classic and elegant? This is important to figure out right off the bat, because it will determine budget and venue. 

Most importantly, you need to determine the budget of your wedding! If your fiancé and yourself are paying for the wedding, the two of you need to sit down and discuss what you are able to spend realistically. Don't go into debt over your wedding! 

If your parents, and/or your fiancé's parents are paying for the wedding, you need to talk to them before any decisions are made.  When they are helping out financially, their opinion on the wedding is also important.  

Once you figure out the budget, other aspects of your wedding can be determined.  You next need to figure out the guest list.  You don't need an exact number, but something close will help determine the venue you chose.  

Once you have the guest list figured out, you can start looking at venues.  You need to decide if you want to have your wedding all in one place, have your ceremony in a church, opt for an outside wedding, etc. Venues will have a max number of people, and they will sometimes have a minimum as well.  These are important factors to consider when you're picking a venue. 

Ok. I'm going to wrap this post up here for today! There are a few other things you should think about at the one year mark that I'll talk about in my next post!

XO, Val